Rural Women's Network

Sonia Muir is one of two women responsible for the Rural Women's Network, a government department in NSW, Australia.

Set up in the 1990s in response to the isolation experience by women during the drought, there is still a need today to facilitate the connections between rural women, reducing isolation, acknowledging their hard work, and developing their confidence and self-esteem.

This year is the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Network, and Sonia has been there for each of those years. She has met thousands of people in the course of her work. And each of them has meant something to her.

For Sonia, this is meaningful work. It has an impact on people’s lives. It allows her to feel that the energy she expends is making a difference to someone. And, as she says, “When you give of yourself and you give of your community, that comes back to you tenfold.”